debunk

verb

de·​bunk (ˌ)dē-ˈbəŋk 

debunked; debunking; debunks

transitive verb

: to expose the sham (see sham entry 1 sense 2) or falseness of

debunk a legend

debunker noun

Did you know?

To debunk something is to take the bunk out of it—that bunk being “nonsense.” (Bunk is short for the synonymous bunkum, which has political origins.) Debunk has been in use since at least the 1920s, and it contrasts with synonyms like disprove and rebut by suggesting that something is not merely untrue but is also a sham—a trick meant to deceive. One can simply disprove a myth, but if it is debunked, the implication is that the myth was a grossly exaggerated or foolish claim.

Synonyms

• refute

Examples of debunk in a Sentence

The article debunks the notion that life exists on Mars.

The results of the study debunk his theory.

Recent Examples on the Web

However, at the time, his campaign's senior adviser, Jason Miller, shared a tweet seemingly debunking the rumors. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Swift appeared to debunk the Gaylor theory in 2023, within the notes of 1989 (Taylor’s Version). —Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Police debunked claims that the person who opened fire inside Lakewood church last year was transgender. —Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025

Davis police are debunking information posted on a community website of an active bomb threat in the city as unfounded and from a two-year-old social media post. —Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for debunk

• bunk
• chunk
• clunk
• drunk
• dunk
• hunk
• junk
• punk
• shrunk
• slunk
• spunk
• sunk

Kids Definition

debunk

verb

de·​bunk (ˈ)dē-ˈbəŋk 

: to expose the falseness in

debunk popular myths

debunker noun